Broken Dolls

Chapter 8: Chosen

The announcement came in the evening, just before lights-out.

Jade stood in the dormitory with the other dolls, their bodies perfectly aligned, faces blank, waiting for the final inspection of the night. Instructor Han paced the rows, his sharp eyes scanning each one of them, searching for imperfections.

Behind him, Eliz strolled at a leisurely pace, her hands clasped behind her back. She was the only person in this facility who could walk without discipline, without restraint. She belonged here.

This was her kingdom. And the dolls were her loyal subjects.

Jade forced his body to remain still, but he could feel her gaze moving across the room, sweeping over each doll as if she were choosing fabric for a dress.

And then-

She stopped.

Jade didn't move, but he felt the weight of her stare settle on him like a hand pressing against his throat.

Instructor Han noticed and turned to her. "Miss Eliz, have you made your selection?"

A small hum of amusement. Then, a single word.

"Jade."

His stomach twisted. He had seen this moment before-Eliz choosing a doll for one of her games. It was always the same. The selected doll would be taken to her quarters for an evening of entertainment. It was never violent, never cruel-at least not in an obvious way.

But they always came back different.

Jade had watched it happen over and over. Some returned quieter than before. Some came back empty, their movements even stiffer, as if something inside them had been rewired.

Some never came back at all.

"Jade, step forward," Instructor Han ordered.

His body obeyed before his mind could react, his feet carrying him forward in perfect, measured steps.

Eliz smiled. "I knew it would be you."

Jade lowered his head in submission. "Yes, Miss Eliz."

She lifted a finger, tilting his chin up, forcing him to meet her eyes. They were a soft shade of brown, deceptively warm, but he knew better.

This wasn't kindness.

It was curiosity.

A slow smile spread across her lips. "Follow me."

Jade hesitated for the briefest second. It wasn't long enough for anyone to notice-except Eliz.

Her expression flickered with something unreadable before she turned on her heel and walked away.

Jade followed, his heart a steady drumbeat of dread in his chest.

He could feel the stares of the other dolls as he passed, could sense Mina's presence among them. He didn't dare look at her, but he knew she was watching.

He was being taken.

And this time, he didn't know if he would come back.

Eliz's Quarters & The Doll That Feels

The room was bathed in dim, golden light, a stark contrast to the sterile, colorless halls of the orphanage. Everything in Eliz's private quarters was lush, soft-designed for comfort, for pleasure.

Jade stood motionless in the center of the room, his white hair catching the glow of the chandelier above. His uniform was pristine, every button fastened, every thread in place. He was perfect. A doll meant to obey.

And yet-he was trembling.

Eliz sat on the edge of an opulent bed, her long, silk nightgown pooling around her legs. She was barely older than him, just past the threshold of girlhood into young womanhood, yet there was a confidence in her movements, in the way she studied him.

She tilted her head, amusement flickering across her delicate features. "You're the pretty one," she murmured, tapping a finger against her chin. "Jade, right?"

His throat was dry. "Yes, Miss Eliz."

Eliz smiled. "I knew it. You're my favorite."

She rose, stepping toward him, her bare feet soundless against the thick rug. Jade's muscles locked as she reached out, fingers brushing against the collar of his uniform.

It was an experiment to her. A game.

Eliz had played with dolls all her life. They were hers. Her protectors, her playthings. They were created to serve her, to love her-without ever truly loving her back.

That was the rule.

She dragged a fingertip down his chest, watching for a reaction. When there was none, she pouted. "Not even a little shiver?"

Jade forced himself to remain still, to suppress the storm inside him. His mind screamed at him to act as the others would-silent, obedient, unfeeling.

But he couldn't stop it.

The heat of her touch burned into his skin, setting fire to something he wasn't supposed to have. Desire. Fear. Confusion.

He clenched his fists behind his back.

Eliz chuckled, stepping even closer. "I wonder..." Her breath was warm against his neck now. "What would it take to make a doll blush?"

Jade's heartbeat pounded in his ears. He had seen this before-Eliz's games. She chose dolls to entertain her, to see how far she could push them.

She thought they were hollow. Empty.

But Jade was not empty.

Her fingers trailed up his throat toward his face. And then-

She stopped.

The smile faded from her lips. The playful amusement drained from her expression.

Because she saw it.

A tremor in his breathing. A flicker in his eyes. A heat beneath his pale skin.

She inhaled sharply. "Oh."

Jade's stomach turned to ice. He had failed.

Her lips parted slightly as she studied him, her voice barely above a whisper. "You're not like the others."

Jade didn't respond. He couldn't.

Eliz reached up, fingers brushing against his cheek. He flinched.

And that was all the confirmation she needed.

Her breathing quickened, her pupils dilating-not in fear, but excitement.

"You feel things," she whispered, as if she had just uncovered a forbidden secret.

Jade's hands trembled at his sides. He needed to correct this. To convince her she was imagining it.

But it was too late.

Eliz's lips curled into a slow, wicked smile. "Oh, Jade..." She leaned in, so close he could feel the warmth of her breath. "You are so much more fun than the others."

Jade felt sick.

She didn't see him as a threat. She didn't see him as human.

To her, he was still just a toy.

And that was even more dangerous.

Because if she wanted to play with him-

She would never let him go.